McLaren confirms its first-ever SUV, targeting a 2028 arrival

McLaren has confirmed it is building its first SUV, a high-riding four-door model that could reach customers as soon as 2028. The confirmation ends years of speculation about the British marque's next move beyond two-seat supercars, and it arrives alongside a substantial UK manufacturing commitment from the brand's owner.

The SUV was announced alongside a 500 million pound investment, roughly $669 million to $672 million depending on the exchange rate cited, that McLaren is directing into its United Kingdom development and manufacturing operations. The funding comes from L'IMAD, a sovereign investment fund run by the government of Abu Dhabi.

That money will support at least one new vehicle assembly facility, likely sited in Sheffield near McLaren's existing carbon-fiber plant, and is expected to create at least 1,000 new jobs by 2032. McLaren says its manufacturing workforce will effectively double as a result of the buildout.

What the SUV is expected to be

Little has been officially disclosed about the vehicle, code-named P47, beyond its rough timeline. Reporting from late 2025 indicated it will carry a hybrid V-8 with all-wheel drive, ride on 24-inch wheels, the largest ever fitted to a McLaren, and seat five across four doors, both firsts for the brand.

CEO Nick Collins has framed the SUV as a way to widen McLaren's appeal to buyers who want supercar performance without giving up daily practicality. "It's quite difficult if you have to decide which one of your kids you want to leave behind at home," Collins said, describing the tradeoff an SUV would remove.

Collins has also linked the model to McLaren's Formula 1 success, saying the brand hopes to convert its championship-winning racing profile into stronger profit margins through a vehicle that reaches a broader, wealthier customer base than its two-seat lineup currently attracts.

One report has described the SUV's silhouette as similar to the Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT Coupe, with a large rear spoiler and diffuser, suggesting a design language that borrows performance cues from the coupe-SUV segment while keeping McLaren's aerodynamic priorities intact.

How McLaren's lineup is changing around it

McLaren says all of its future powertrains will be designed and built entirely in-house, starting with two new engines and transmissions. That work will run alongside expansion at the McLaren Production Centre in Woking and the McLaren Composites Technology Centre in South Yorkshire, its carbon-fiber research site.

The SUV is expected to join a lineup that already includes the W1 halo car, alongside a rumored 810-horsepower hybrid coupe and a production version of the McLaren 6GT, which would mark the brand's first manual gearbox since the McLaren F1.

Not everything is staying. The Artura, McLaren's current entry-level model and first plug-in hybrid, is reportedly on the way out after 2028. An anonymous dealer briefed on the plan said a delayed launch and early oil-pump and software issues hurt sales.

The Artura is expected to be replaced by a mid-engined model code-named P34, arriving by the end of 2027 with a twin-turbo V-6 hybrid setup, around 800 horsepower, and styling reportedly referencing the McLaren F1.

What McLaren makes and who owns it

McLaren was sold in October 2024 to CYVN Holdings, an Abu Dhabi investment group that also owns British startup Forseven, subsequently merged into McLaren. The new SUV investment is being read as a signal that its Gulf ownership remains committed to the marque's British manufacturing base.

McLaren appears in our ranking of the 20 most popular luxury car brands online, entering the top ten alongside Aston Martin and Bugatti and displacing Cadillac, evidence of rising search interest even before this SUV was confirmed. Its Speedtail also features among the priciest cars we track at $2.25 million.

We have also included the McLaren F1 among the classic cars we consider essential for collectors, and named the brand among the best British marques on the road in our coverage of the scene, a lineage this SUV would extend into an entirely new body style for the first time.

McLaren has not published a name, price or full specification sheet for the SUV, and the 2028 timeline is still described as a target rather than a confirmed launch date. The next milestone to watch is progress on the new UK assembly facility itself.